In 2022, Whatcom County athletes tallied 24 state titles during the spring season alone. Last season they earned 25. Could 26 be on the horizon in 2024?
Spring sports mark the return to the outdoors — often with frequent weather-related hiccups in the early season. Snow flurries, torrential downpours and gray, windy days make “spring” sports challenging. But that’s part of the ride.
Track and field made up 19 of the county’s spring titles last year, 18 in individual events or relays. The Sehome boys also won the Class 2A team title.
The other six came from boys tennis and golf. Sehome tennis players (boys postseason in the spring) won the singles, doubles and team championships, while two individuals and one group captured golf titles.
Here’s a look at how the county could fare this upcoming spring season.
Track and field
While 19 track and field titles came back to Whatcom County last season, only eight athletes who contributed to that total are returning in 2024.
Lynden, Lynden Christian and Sehome each have two returning champions, though both of Sehome’s title-winners from a year ago were in a relay (junior Andre Watson and sophomore Porter Leak in the 4X100).
LC is returning senior Tabby DeJong, the reigning 1A girls shot put champion, and junior Mick Owen, who won the boys triple jump a season ago. DeJong also took fifth in the discus.
Lynden senior Jared McCrory is coming off a 2A boys pole vault championship, while junior Faith VanBrocklin will be in pursuit of another 300-meter hurdles title. Meridian senior Jase Klinkhammer won the 1A boys 400-meter dash title last season and came in second in the 100-meter dash.
Bellingham senior Chayse Flick-Williams won her second-consecutive 2A girls long jump title last season but fell short of another 100-meter dash championship. She remains a three-time state champion entering this season.
Other athletes who finished second or third last year could be primed for big campaigns in 2024.
Sehome senior Bella Connell was the runner-up in the 2A girls 100-meter hurdles, and Nooksack Valley senior Cian Coppinger will go after the 1A boys discus title after taking second last season.
Girls tennis
Usually, at this time, we’re waiting to see how many girls tennis players will join the boys at the state tennis championships later this spring. This season, however, it’s up to the girls as no boys players are headed to state for the first time since 2006.
Luckily, plenty of local girls players who reached last season’s state tournament will now be looking to make another run.
Bellingham juniors Kira Carlson and Ella Morrow are back after a second-place doubles finish at the 2A state championships last season. The lifelong friends and teammates are in search of a championship this year.
Lynden senior Kalanie Newcomb, fresh off a 2A state basketball title, will return and attempt to improve upon last season’s third-place doubles finish. Newcomb, who earned her medal with older sister Adia last season, will now be joined by her younger sister: sophomore Rilanna Newcomb.
Squalicum senior Bernadine Salvatierra reached state last year but did not place. Salvatierra now has a chance to close out her career with a second consecutive state berth, and possibly a medal.
Boys/girls golf
Last year was historic for Whatcom County golfers, and two individual state champions will return for another go.
Lynden senior Logan Medcalf won the 2A boys state title last season, while Ferndale senior Baylor Larrabee won the 3A boys championship.
Sehome’s girls team is also returning senior Cassie Hogan from the group that won the 2A girls team title a year ago.
Sehome senior John Kummer finished 11th in the boys tournament last season, and Lynden is also bringing back senior Jack Stapleton, who took 19th at state and just won a state championship with the basketball team.
Lynden girls will return sophomore Kinsley Rector, who placed 14th at state a season ago.
Meridian junior Daniel Blankenburg will look to improve on a seventh-place finish at the 1A boys tournament in 2023.
Baseball
Lynden baseball was the lone team to reach a state championship appearance last season — the first for the program since 2012. The Lions were unable to secure a title in a walk-off loss to rival Tumwater.
Lynden returns 11 of 20 players, including a University of Washington signee, pitcher Lane Simonsen.
The Lions are joined by two other teams that made state last year: Lynden Christian and Ferndale.
The Lyncs lost just three seniors from last year’s team that reached state for the first time in more than two decades. The team had four freshmen on the team last year and might be a force once again.
Ferndale, by comparison, lost nine players from last year’s team — many of them starters. The Golden Eagles are still perennial competitors in the Northwest Conference.
Meridian is a local team to watch in Class 1A. The Trojans lost two seniors from last year’s team that was two wins away from a state berth. It could be Meridian’s year, with an especially deep bullpen that includes juniors Jonah Aase, Jaeger Fyfe, Tyrel Brooks, Tristan Wang and senior Jacob Amundson.
Blaine also went far into the 1A bi-district tournament before being eliminated in the consolation quarterfinals. The Borderites lost only five seniors.
Sehome reached the consolation quarterfinals before meeting Lynden — the eventual state runner-up. The Mariners had four seniors graduate, but they will once again be competitive in the 2A landscape.
Fastpitch softball
Three teams went to state last year: Lynden, Lynden Christian and Blaine.
Blaine reached the 1A state semifinals, but the Borderites graduated five seniors at the end of the year. They did, however, preserve arguably the best pitcher in the NWC: senior Emersyn Bakker.
At the high school level, pitching is everything. Bakker gives Blaine a chance to make another run this season.
Lynden lost three seniors after reaching the state quarterfinals. The Lions will be in the race once again this year, with multiple big hitters returning.
LC reached the 1A state quarterfinals last year but the Lyncs are losing seven seniors — exhausting much of their starting lineup.
Mount Baker, which reached the final round of districts, is sure to be back in the running after graduating just two seniors. The Mountaineers have multiple key returners heading back to the team.
Boys soccer
Class 2A Bellingham and Sehome were the only teams to reach state a season ago.
Sehome finished third in the state, but the Mariners lost 11 seniors to graduation. It’s difficult to evaluate a team that lost so many crucial players, but Sehome is regularly in the state mix. A reload is certainly in the realm of possibilities.
Bellingham lost in the first round of the 2A state tournament, and the Bayhawks had six players graduate at the end of last season. They will also be back in state contention again this year.
In Class 1A, Meridian and Blaine were on the cusp of state berths a year ago — losing in the bi-district games. Blaine lost a sizeable eight seniors, while Meridian also lost seven.
Keep an eye on LC, which had no seniors last season and fell one win short of bi-districts. The Lyncs could be prepping for a deep run this year with their whole group back.
Connor J. Benintendi is CDN’s sports editor; reach him at connorbenintendi@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
